It was no secret to anyone, not to me for sure. The fact that the N64 was added to the Switch Online subscription was the next logical step.
The surprise for me? The price increase, which is justified and I will come back to it later. The other surprise, for me again, the addition of Sega Genesis games!
Yes we will be entitled to Ecco, Sonic and so many other Sega icons on our Nintendo Switch. I'm talking to the future but this all came out on October 26th folks! So if you don't have it yet or are looking to be convinced, I'm here for you.
Now let's talk about the price, how it has changed and why I think the price is justified to change.
First of all, the addition of games and especially two different consoles is quite significant. We are immediately entitled to Ocarina of Time, Lylatwars, Yoshi’s Island and others when it comes to the N64. Then we have Sonic (the 2nd), Street of rage, Phantasy Star IV and many others concerning the Sega.
They are games loved by everyone, which we can already enjoy without worry. So there are 9 games at launch for the N64 and 14 games for the Genesis. This brings more than 20 games from the start and we know that the catalogs will quickly evolve. This will allow you to enjoy more and more old-school games and while the new games are worth the effort, there are some must-haves to play even if "you're not of this generation".
While saying this I am thinking precisely of games like the old Sonic, Ocarina of Time or Banjo-Kazooie for example (not yet available on the other hand, yes please calm down). There are some games that are timeless, whether the old-school gameplay, or the graphics are not todays standards, no problem. These games are worth it anyway.
One great news about this expansion is that you can play online. Yes, you read that right. We can for example play Mario Kart 64 (yes go crazy it is part of the launch catalog) at 4 on 4 different consoles and even each at home. It's just great because it brings real modernity to this catalog of old games.
That's not all, for my part I find that the previous arguments are sufficient to explain the price increase, but there is still more. Fans of Animal Crossing New Horizon, I am talking to you. AND there are many of you, really. There will be an add-on called "Happy Home Paradise!" You need to have the initial game to enjoy it, so you can show off your beautiful creations and play (to some extent) your favorite game online.
Note that if you are not interested in the subscription, you can purchase from the store and therefore download this extension separately. Not insignificant for those who are not interested in the rest of the add-on pack.
With these fairly large additions I find the price difference worth it. For the standard subscription, we therefore go from € 19.99 per year to 39.99. We still stay at a very reasonable price.
By adding consoles to the subscription, we have to think that new controllers will be available. And you would be right to think so.
Indeed a new N64 controller and a Mega Drive (with three and not six buttons) will be / are available. The one for the N64 should already be available but at the time I am writing this I see that it cannot be ordered because it is "currently unavailable". As for the one for the Mega Drive, it is not possible to purchase it at the moment nor is it rated as "unavailable". It should therefore be available in the coming weeks.
For my part, the additional pack has already been taken, the price varies depending on your current subscription and the initial date. So you only pay the difference and that's great news.
I was convinced by these additions knowing also that it was going to evolve. The only small negative point to note would be the different buttons between N64 and Switch. Indeed to easily play Lylatwars for example you have to be very careful to master the combination of buttons.
It's not very simple and the N64 controller will be a real positive contribution to smoothly play the games of this legendary console.
I hope you will have found answers to your questions and that you will be able to make the choice that is best for you!
In the meantime, good game to all!